Why aren’t there more kit build motorcycles?
Discussion
We’re spoilt for choice when it comes to kit cars with almost every shape, style and engine choice catered for be it a classic or modern recreation but why are there so few kits available for motorcycles?
There’s a few places that makes parts to convert your existing bike into a chopper or cafe racer and plenty of options for minibikes but when it comes to a ground up build it seems to be almost impossible to find manufacturers supplying frames of their own design. Is there no market for this or are my google skills failing me?
I’ve built a few kit cars over the years but now fancy trying something different. Modifying something existing doesn’t have the same appeal and the thought of SVA testing on a new build doesn’t put me off.
Is there anything out there for weekend touring that has classic styling but with modern underpinnings?
There’s a few places that makes parts to convert your existing bike into a chopper or cafe racer and plenty of options for minibikes but when it comes to a ground up build it seems to be almost impossible to find manufacturers supplying frames of their own design. Is there no market for this or are my google skills failing me?
I’ve built a few kit cars over the years but now fancy trying something different. Modifying something existing doesn’t have the same appeal and the thought of SVA testing on a new build doesn’t put me off.
Is there anything out there for weekend touring that has classic styling but with modern underpinnings?
There's loads of companies out there that'll help fabricate things from your imagination.
I'd guess the lack of kit options would be down to a combination of a much smaller market for two wheels in general and the relative ease of building something ground up compared to a car - why go kit when you can get a donor for most parts then either make or have made exactly what you fancy.
I'd guess the lack of kit options would be down to a combination of a much smaller market for two wheels in general and the relative ease of building something ground up compared to a car - why go kit when you can get a donor for most parts then either make or have made exactly what you fancy.
dibblecorse said:
Kit bikes can be much more expensive than whatever the source bike of the engine is. I reckon you'd be hard pressed to find a GSXR in excellent condition that'd be more than the build cost of a Harris Magnum, similarly the Pierobon kit starts off at what a 1199 would set you back.Obviously if you do a lot of the work yourself, such as the Triumph example above, you'll get out of it more financially intact but it's not exactly a kit you bolt together. But I reckon if a kit was made, a few would get sold as it looks great.
It's also because there is so much variety in motorcycle type that it's easy to buy a base off the shelf, whether you want a cafe racer or mega tourer. Personalisation is also relatively cheap: my Yamaha FZ6 I had a Givi rack for luggage, a fancy shock, an HID headlamp. I could have put on a full race exhaust had I chosen.
The other thing kit cars offer is a great performance advantage over normal cars. Most motorcycles offer a great performance advantage over other traffic without having to build it yourself.
When I owned my Ducati I'd have liked a bigger, metal tank, and a centre stand, and a few other things, but it still wouldn't have been kit car like.
The other thing kit cars offer is a great performance advantage over normal cars. Most motorcycles offer a great performance advantage over other traffic without having to build it yourself.
When I owned my Ducati I'd have liked a bigger, metal tank, and a centre stand, and a few other things, but it still wouldn't have been kit car like.
Things like Harris etc. are aspirational and quite expensive, but as has been said you can keep the frame with things like CRK:
https://www.caferacerkits.co.uk/crk-bikes
These are quite close to the kit car idea of re-bodying a donor to end up with something different.
Alternatively, if very hands on and watching the budget, you can go to one of the smaller frame builders that let you do more of the rest of the build yourself, such as:
https://www.gasolineallyspeedshop.co.uk/gas-builds...
Frames from as little as £1,145...... I guess you could probably turn your Bandit 1200 (or similar) into a hardtail chopper quite effectively with one of these kits?
I've never done either, so please don't take this as any indication to go ahead with these vs any other options.......
https://www.caferacerkits.co.uk/crk-bikes
These are quite close to the kit car idea of re-bodying a donor to end up with something different.
Alternatively, if very hands on and watching the budget, you can go to one of the smaller frame builders that let you do more of the rest of the build yourself, such as:
https://www.gasolineallyspeedshop.co.uk/gas-builds...
Frames from as little as £1,145...... I guess you could probably turn your Bandit 1200 (or similar) into a hardtail chopper quite effectively with one of these kits?
I've never done either, so please don't take this as any indication to go ahead with these vs any other options.......
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